The incoherence of sustainability literacy assessed with the Sulitest

Colin Kuehl (), Aaron C. Sparks, Heather Hodges and Eric R. A. N. Smith
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Colin Kuehl: Northern Illinois University
Aaron C. Sparks: Elon University
Heather Hodges: University of California
Eric R. A. N. Smith: University of California

Nature Sustainability, 2021, vol. 4, issue 6, 555-560

Abstract: Abstract Improving sustainability knowledge has long been central to international efforts to achieve sustainable development. In response to these efforts, which are formalized in Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, a global group of scholars and practitioners, in cooperation with the United Nations, designed and fielded the ‘Sulitest’, a survey tool that assesses sustainability knowledge in a variety of contexts. The Sulitest has been taken by over 160,000 individuals across 63 countries. Despite its substantial use, there is little systematic analysis of the data or the test itself. We analyse the Sulitest using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, common techniques for identifying latent components within observed data. The Sulitest was designed to measure knowledge within four themes; however, this architecture is not supported by the data. Analysis suggests there is no coherent structure of sustainability knowledge. We urge caution to policymakers and educators when using the Sulitest as a diagnostic tool for assessing sustainability knowledge.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00687-6

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